I have some Padron Serie 1926 Anniversary 80 Years Salomons and some Serie 1926 No. 2. The number 2 cost half as much as the salomons, and thus I wasn't expecting the same quality, and as expected didn't get it. But I found the no. 2 to be well worth the cost, and I have no complaints except that one of the two I smoked was a nicotine bomb, far stronger than even the JdN Antanos. I like full-bodied cigars, and as long as I've eaten, I can nub them. In the same regard, one of the 80 Years was another level or two up in nicotine. Is it true that Padron throws out a nicotine bomb on occasion?

As regards quality, is it true that on a scale of ascending quality, pricy Padrons are named:

1. 1926 and 1964
2. #1 plus the word "anniversary"
3. both #1 and #2 plus either "40" or "80 Years"
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I've found nicotine bombs in cigars that people usually don't and vise-versa. I wouldn't call it a dud, but maybe a mistake if you will? Not sure how or why this happens but it goes both ways for sure.
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Who knows if you were the one doing something different (i.e not eating, or having raised of lowered blood sugar) or if the cigar you had contained a pinch more of a heavier leaf than the other. Can;t really say for sure. Cigars are hand made, and as a handmade product there are differences from one cigar to the next. How big those differences are (flavor, nicotine content) will affect the brand as a whole.

It could have been that the other cigar packed a little more punch AND you had a lower blood sugar than when you smoked the other one.

As for quality, I would say the '64s are at the bottom end construction wise, then the '26s then the special cigars like the 40th and 80th.
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I would think all the higher end Padron stuff should be top notch quality. As I understand, the price difference is due to the age of the tobacco and the limited number of cigars produced. The 80 years anniversary cigars are produced in smaller numbers, with older tobacco than the 64s, but I believe the tobacco they use is of the same quality.
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:-)

I'm not sure if the question being asked is on construction quality or tobacco quality? I think the tobacco quality is excellent across the board. I just think the construction quality differs slightly due to 40's and 80's being smaller production and having their most skilled rollers work on those.
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It's both, the construction and the flavor.

I wouldn't smoke a full-bodied cigar unless I'd eaten, and I've never been diagnosed as having a blood-sugar level problem, but I like how you weave my physicality into a perception of nicotine.

Thanks for your replies.
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The 80th's, 40th,s 45th's, 46's, '26's and 64's all have top grade A tobaccos. The difference is the age of the tobaccos. Construction should be second to none on all of these.

Nicotine perception is all about physicality for everyone. Some days it hit's you harder than others. The difference, who knows?:-)

I have found when you are not expecting alot of nicotine it can sneak up on you quicker than you realize.
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You're saying that all lines you mentioned have the same tobacco, that aging is the difference. I'll remember that.

Another thing I've been wondering is if there are blending tweaks, particularly in the 1926 numbered cigars? The no. 2 that I smoked was, according to my taste, a variation on the themes of the elegant and clearly articulated 1926 Anniversary 80 Years.
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I believe they are all the same blend, just different sizes.
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Really MJ?
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I'm not sure if you're being sarcastic or not, but yes. Really.
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....I can say with 100% certainty that the Padron family does NOT "...throw out a nicotine bomb on occasion....". Aside from the whole empty / full stomach issue, I would say that with any handmade product, there is going to be some unit to unit variation, and hand made cigars are no exception.

With respect to quality, as has been mentioned, the '64, 26, 40th, 80th, etc. should all be the same, equally high quality. What you're paying for at the high end is aging time for the tobacco.

I've smoked lots of cigars over the years, but if I had to pick one and only one brand of smoke to "live with" I would pick Padron, hands down.

Cheers - N.F.H.
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